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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I think I have a new favorite chili recipe! This recipe is not for the itty bitty's at home, but the mommy's and daddy's are sure going to love it! This recipe come from Cookin' Canuckand it caught my eye because of the ground turkey and also because of the chipotle peppers. (I had some in the fridge I needed to use up.) I wanted to eat this without tears streaming down my face, so I toned down the heat factor by scraping the seeds out of the peppers before I added them to the chili. If you want more heat, leave the seeds in. So, make the kids a pot of spaghetti and enjoy a bowl of amazing chili!

Turkey Chili with Chipotle Peppers

cookin canuck

1 tbsp canola oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 lbs ground turkey meat

1/4 cup chili powder

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes (including juices)

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped

2 tsp adobo sauce (from pepper can)

3 cups chicken broth

1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15oz) can small white beans, rinsed and drained

sour cream

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot set over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender and light brown, about 10 minutes. Add cumin and oregano. Stir for 30 seconds, then add garlic cloves. Stir for an additional 30 seconds. Increase heat to med-high. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it is cooked through. Add chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add whole tomatoes, including their juices. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon while cooking. Mix in tomato paste, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaves. Add black and white beans to the chili. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Monday, January 25, 2010

I know meatloaf is not the most exciting thing to eat, but I worked a ton of hours this weekend, so this is about as exciting as it got around here. This is my favorite meatloaf recipe though-I love the ginger in it!Brown Sugar Meatloaf

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or turkey-don't be afraid of it Jodi!!)

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Mix ingredients (except brown sugar and ketchup) in a mixing bowl and then shape into a loaf after putting mixture in loaf pan. Press sugar on top on loaf and spread ketchup on top of sugar. (You can also put ketchup and sugar on the bottom of the pan before putting mixture in if you wanted to change it up a bit, or do both-bottom and top.) Bake 1 hour or until juices run clear.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

We eat a ton of chicken in our house cause it is cheap, so I am always looking for new ways to serve it. I have had this recipe in my file to try for a while now and I wish I had a a better picture of it. It was so good! I think this is my new favorite "easy" chicken recipe.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Some people calls these homemade Kit Kat bars. I call them sugary goodness!!! I don't think these taste like a real Kit Kat bar-but whatever they taste like, they are good! Believe me, you won't be able to stop after one...two, three or four for that matter!

Kit Kat Bars

Grandma's Desserts

80 club crackers

1 cup butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Line a 9x13 pan with foil, making sure you leave it hanging over the sides. Line bottom of pan with a single layer of crackers. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once that is done cooking, pour half of the mixture over the crackers. Make another layer of crackers over sugar mixture. Pour rest of sugar mixture over crackers and top that with another layer of crackers.

In a small saucepan over med-low heat, melt butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Stir constantly to make sure it doesn't burn.

Pour melted chocolate mixture over crackers and make sure to distribute evenly. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Sorry about the lack of posts. I cooked myself sick the week of Christmas and while I have been making some really good things that I really wanted to share the last two weeks, I have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. I think life is somewhat back to normal now and I am back to posting.

I have been promising my husband I would make this pizza for about 3 weeks and I finally made it last night. Eric gave it one hundred thumbs up. I think we will be adding this to his "favorite dinner's" list. That list is getting to be a bit long:) If you like meat or have a man in your life-this is the pizza for you!

(sorry about the picture-I pulled it out of the oven and ran out the door to get to work on time.)

Kielbasa and Caramelized Onion Pizza

adapted from Rachael Ray

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 onions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

pizza dough

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet and heat over med heat. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining olive oil and onions to same skillet and cook until onions are golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kielbasa back to skillet and season with salt, pepper and thyme.

Prepare your pizza dough (whatever kind you like to use) and arrange on baking sheet or pizza stone (worth the money!!). Arrange kielbasa/onion mixture over dough and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425* for about 14-17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Monday, January 4, 2010

All I need to say about this recipe is....YUMMY!!! If you love lasagna, you will love this burger. You get the flavors of lasagna without feeling like you are eating pasta on a burger. Pair this up with some homemade fries and you have a new favorite meal!

Lasagna Burgers

adapted from Rachael Ray

1 lbs ground turkey

salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 oz) can Italian crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp dried basil

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

4 hamburger buns

In a large bowl, season the meat with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for more even cooking. Drizzle with olive oil. In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over med heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes; stir in the basil.

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over med-high heat. Add patties and cook, turning once, about 7-8 minutes.
While patties are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over med heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. Season with salt and pepper and the nutmeg, then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and the parmesan.

Spoon some of the red sauce on the bottom bun, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the patties and set roll tops in place.

About Me

Motherhood is the greatest gift I have been given. I love to spend time with my family and make new memories with my kids. Our faith keeps us grounded and our time together is priceless. I believe happiness is a choice and so I share with you some things that make our home and family happy! Thanks for stopping by!
Becky

Contact Information

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like additional information. Please do not copy images. If you share any ideas or recipes please cite the source and post a link back to this blog. Thanks!
beckynielson@hotmail.com